News Taffy

ASU-Newport students, faculty and staff celebrated Earth Day last week with speakers and displays about recycling, natural resources, wildlife, and equipment used in the ASUN Renewable Energy program. Student Kyle Story of Jonesboro shows Helen Bullard a Biodiesel Processor. The processor makes 50 gallons of biodiesel at a time.  The larger tank on the left is filled with any kind of oil (vegetable, canola, peanut, palm) and the smaller tank on the right is filled with methanol (alcohol), and sodium hydroxide or lye (catalyst to start the reaction).  Once the sodium hydroxide is fully dissolved into the methanol, the  mixture is added to the  oil.  The machine stirs the mixture for about 5 minutes then the mixture stands for 24 – 48 hours and just like magic you have biodiesel.  It can then be pumped directly from the tank into the piece of equipment you are using. Watching the demonstration is student Kolby Burton of Newport.